"Quickly, prepare some bowls of hangover tea!" Inside the felt tent, Concubine Gao frowned and ordered to the palace attendants with a somewhat unkind tone.
"yes!"
There were three princes entering the account. Liu Xi looked drunk. Liu Xu and Liu Fang were supporting him. Liu Xu was handsome and Liu Fang's face was red. They were all still awake. Only Liu Xi was unconscious and had a mouthful of blood in his mouth. Mumbling something.
"Hel the third prince to the couch!" Concubine Gao ordered, and then said to Liu Xu and Liu Fang: "You also drank wine? Sit down for a while and drink hangover tea together!"
"Yes!" The two princes sat aside obediently, watching Concubine Gao prepare Liu Xi.
"What's going on?" Concubine Gao asked.
Liu Xu stood up and replied: "Generals Guo Chongwei and Shi Shouxin have returned to camp, and my father hosted a banquet to welcome the wind. Three of my brothers served at the banquet. On a whim, Sanlang had a few more glasses of wine..."
"Absurd!" After hearing this, Concubine Gao immediately scolded: "Officials are the same, how can I let you drink like this!"
Liu Xu and Liu Fang both lowered their heads subconsciously and remained silent. Seeing this, he glanced at the two brothers and sighed slightly: "You are still young, so you should be more restrained when it comes to wine!"
"yes!"
After waiting for a while, the hangover tea was presented. After the three brothers had finished drinking it, Liu Xu took the initiative and said: "Ms. Gao, San Lang has already delivered it. Liu Xu will go ahead and return it to the account!"
Liu Fang nodded beside him. Seeing this, Concubine Gao waved her hand: "You go! It's dark, so watch the road!"
Looking at the backs of the two brothers, Concubine Gao returned to looking at her son. She had regained consciousness, but her eyes were still blurred, and she suddenly became angry.
Gently tugging on his ear, Liu Xi also sat up: "Mom, be gentle!"
"You started drinking too much at a young age. Your father entertained the generals. Why did you join in the fun? Are you still so drunk?"
"Liu Xu is not drunk, and Liu Fang is not drunk either. You are the only one who is drunk. Do you still remember your identity?"
"..."
Facing her mother's scolding, Liu Xi blinked in a daze, and then lay down again. He seemed to be drunk again, and muttered: "I am drunk now, and my mind is in chaos. If mother wants to teach me a lesson, It’s better to wait until you sober up and then take the blame..."
As he spoke, it was as if he had really fallen asleep. Seeing his performance, Concubine Gao was a little helpless.
On Liu Chengyou's side, the banquet was still going on, but wine, food, dishes, fruits and snacks were no longer the theme. Liu Chengyou listened to the progress of their battle outside the fortress. The specific situation cannot be reflected in a few military memorials. It requires statements from the parties involved.
"It seems that Yelu Xianshi is also a person!" Liu Chengyou took a sip of wine and said lightly.
Shi Shouxin responded: "Your Majesty, he may not be very capable of commanding and directing operations on the battlefield, but he is cunning, knows the pros and cons of strength, can adapt to changes, and acts decisively. I have fought with him for a long time, and although I have made some gains , but it is always difficult to achieve full success, it is indeed a difficult opponent!"
"It's really extraordinary to be praised like this by General Shi!" Liu Chengyou's expression became a little more serious, and he said to Li Wanchao on the side: "Old General, you have to be careful about this person. Since the Lord of Liao used it to unify the military in the south, It is very likely that he is your opponent in the westward march, and I am afraid that he will not let you succeed easily!"
"Yes!" Li Wanchao looked very solemn and looked at Generals Shi and Guo: "As for the situation of Yelu Xianshi, I hope that the two generals will give you some advice after the meeting!"
"That's right! You're welcome, old general!" Shi Shouxin didn't dare to make excuses.
The senior generals also knew about Li Wanchao's appointment as the commander of Jiuyuan Capital.
Guo Chongwei, on the other hand, saw that Liu Chengyou and Shi Shouxin were too afraid of praising the Liao generals, so he said in a calm statement: "Your Majesty, there is no need to think too highly of Yelv Xianshi. No matter how cunning he is, he is only a defeated general. . This time, if we send more troops out of the fortress, we won’t be able to let them escape several times!”
Looking at Guo Chongwei, Liu Chengyou smiled. This man is also a veteran in the army and an old minister from Hedong. He also made great contributions in the establishment of the Han Dynasty.
Because his native place was Jincheng County in Yingzhou, Shi Jingtang ceded sixteen states in his early years. He decisively fled south instead of becoming a Khitan official. For him, this Northern Expedition also meant regaining his hometown, so he worked very hard.
In fact, Guo Chongwei had sufficient qualifications and abilities for the position assigned by Shanyang City. Liu Chengyou had originally thought of him, but he was a little wary because he had been closely associated with Guo Wei in the early years.
Therefore, Liu Chengyou finally decided to use him as the deputy capital of Shanyang and also to lead the newly established Ningyuan military envoy. Of course, his title was also raised one level to the title of Duke of Jincheng County and the founding of the country.
On the spot, Liu Chengyou announced the matter, and the generals present congratulated Guo Chongwei. Although there were some flaws in his deputy position, Guo Chongwei still stood up and thanked him, his silent expression seemed to open up. At the same time, Wang Yanchao is still in Henan. Before he takes office, Guo Chongwei is temporarily in charge of military affairs in and around Datong.
"Judging from your combat experience in the fortress, after repeated defeats, the Liao army has changed its tactics. It no longer seeks to confront the big men head-on and face-to-face. Instead, it adopts tactics such as sneak attack, transport back, movement, division, and annihilation. To give full play to the advantages of its cavalry, this situation needs to be paid attention to!" Returning to the topic, Liu Chengyou said in a deep voice.
Hearing this, Shi Shouxin wiped his mouth and responded: "What your Majesty said is true. This is also the limitation of my infantry and cavalry attack. It is difficult to achieve full success. This is only at the southern foot of Yinshan Mountain, and the terrain has restrictions. , if the army reaches the desert and the grassland is endless, if the Liao army still adopts this guerrilla warfare method, it will be even more difficult to deal with!"
"Now that the problem has been discovered, how to solve it?" Liu Chengyou asked.
"The only way is to send more cavalry troops, to control the cavalry with cavalry, and to use guerrillas to fight the heroic cavalry!" Guo Chongwei said: "Your Majesty, in this Northern Expedition, the Han cavalry army, whether it was the imperial army or the side cavalry, suffered heavy casualties and huge losses. It is in urgent need of replenishment and preparation. . Before and after this battle, our army captured a large number of horses, and with the restoration of Youyun, the source of the horses was guaranteed. In the future battles between Han and Liao, the role of cavalry will be further improved. Therefore, I believe that the role of cavalry will be further improved. We should strengthen the armaments of the cavalry!"
"What do you think of what General Guo said?" Liu Chengyou looked at the others again.
Chai Rong nodded, expressed his approval, and said: "If we only focus on defense, with the current military strength of the Han Dynasty, it is enough to resist the Liao army. If we want to attack, wipe out the Liao Kingdom, and clear the grassland, we should really pay attention to the recovery and development of the cavalry."
Zhao Kuangyin thought for a while, hesitated a little, and said to Liu Chengyou: "Your Majesty, I believe that the Khitan Liao Kingdom is not like an ordinary grassland regime after all. It is a country that has been deeply sinicized and has undergone the integration of Hu and Han. We cannot simply regard it as a Hu people." Treat it. Therefore, in terms of combat, there are also key points that can be captured!"
Liu Chengyou said: "You are not talking about their Linhuang Mansion in Beijing, right?"
"Your Majesty is really talented and smart, and you can tell at once!" Zhao Kuangyin smiled.
Liu Chengyou waved his hand and said calmly: "If there is a chance in the future, we should send a large force to attack Linhuang!"
A banquet of a rewarding nature ended with the monarch and his ministers discussing military affairs. Before leaving, Liu Chengyou looked around and said: "It has been five days since we broke through Yunzhong. We have stayed for a long time, and the army should return. I have decided that on March 8, Luan Jia will set off to return to Beijing and walk to Youyou. Prefecture, return to Tokyo via Hebei!"
"Guo Qing, take advantage of the time before departure to take over Datong's defense first, and implement the areas that are not in place as soon as possible. If there are any difficulties, I will solve them for you while I am still here!" Liu Chengyou Then he looked at Guo Chongwei and gave instructions, and also made a joke: "I have just returned from the journey, so I will be entrusted with hard work. Don't you think I am disrespectful to my subordinates!"
Guo Chongwei hurriedly said: "Your Majesty's words are serious!"
After the banquet was over, Liu Chengyou left Chai Rong alone and asked him to take a walk with him.
"Your Majesty, why are you so worried?" Chai Rong asked.
Putting his hands behind his back, blowing the already comfortable night breeze, Liu Chengyou said: "During the war, it was like bearing the weight of Mount Tai. Now that the war is over, all kinds of affairs are coming one after another, and it is more complicated than before..."
After sighing with emotion, Liu Chengyou said: "It's getting late, so I won't talk nonsense. This Northern Expedition lasted for eight months, and the officers and men made a lot of contributions. How to reward merit, how to reward, how to adjust military positions and arrange work, but This is a big project, it’s not easy to handle! You are the Privy Councilor, you should advise me!"
Hearing what he said, Chai Rong's shrewd eyes revealed a trace of thought, and he quickly asked: "Your Majesty, please give me your instructions!"
"What do you think of Generals Shi Shouxin and Yang Ye?"
"Courageous, resourceful, and talented as a commander!" Chai Rong suddenly replied.
"How should they be rewarded?"
After thinking for a while, Chai Rong said: "Shi Shouxin is the commander of the guards and infantry, and Yang Yeke is the Marquis of Yu in front of the palace!"
Hearing what he said, Liu Chengyou couldn't help but hesitate and said: "They are only in their early thirties, and they are promoted to such high positions rashly. Will people be convinced?"
Chai Rong said calmly: "The abilities, qualifications and achievements of Generals Shi and Yang have all been tested. There are few in the army who can match them. Who dares to criticize them? Furthermore, Your Majesty always employs people according to their talents. Ren Ren, why are you hesitating now?"
Perhaps Liu Chengyou himself didn't realize that as he grew older, he began to prefer to use older and experienced civil and military personnel.
